Al-Burhan Seeks to Contain Potential Crisis over Chemical Weapons Use
The Sudanese government confirmed that it is currently working through technical communication channels with the U.S. side on the issue of chemical weapons use, in an effort to avoid sanctions.
On Thursday, Sudan stated that it is dealing seriously and transparently with what it described as U.S. allegations of chemical weapons use, noting that it is engaging through technical communication channels with the American side. The Sudanese authorities are under increasing pressure following continued accusations of chemical weapons use in the conflict, considered a crime against civilians, and prompting calls for accountability.
In a statement, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Sudan participated in the 109th session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held in The Hague, Netherlands, and delivered a statement regarding the U.S. allegations.”
On June 27, new U.S. sanctions came into effect against Sudan, after the U.S. State Department accused the Sudanese government of using chemical weapons in its conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during 2024. These sanctions include restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and limits on access to U.S. government credit facilities.
The ministry added: “The Council discussed, as part of its agenda, the recent U.S. allegations concerning chemical weapons use in Sudan, in light of clarification requests received by the organisation from several member states.”
The Sudanese government asserted it is taking these allegations seriously and in line with its legal and moral responsibilities, and has already begun taking practical steps to address them.
It noted that “objectively addressing such claims requires access to the information on which they are based,” and that the Sudanese government is working through technical channels with the U.S. side, which has expressed willingness to provide Sudan with the necessary data and details in the coming period.
The government called on the OPCW Executive Council to “allow this process to proceed in a spirit of constructive cooperation.”
It also reaffirmed its full commitment to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and its readiness to cooperate with the organisation and all State Parties, in support of international efforts to prevent the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, and to strengthen peace and security at both the regional and international levels.
On May 29, Transitional Sovereignty Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a decree establishing a national committee to investigate the U.S. allegations regarding the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese army in the war with the RSF.
Previously, on May 23, the Sudanese government had strongly rejected the “baseless and false U.S. allegations” about the use of chemical weapons by its army in the ongoing war.
This rejection came one day after the U.S. State Department announced plans to impose a new round of sanctions on Sudan, citing the alleged use of chemical weapons during the civil conflict.
Since mid-April 2023, the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced or forced nearly 15 million people to flee, according to data from the United Nations and local authorities. A separate study by U.S. universities estimated the death toll at around 130,000.
